Objectives | Lao Traditional Medicine | Eco Lodge

There are five major objectives of BEGRC research:

1. Conduct research into the cultivation and conservation of lesser-known ethnobotanics
2. Preserve traditional knowledge of these plants
3. Seek alternative treatments to common and tropical diseases
4. Serve as a local education and information center for the local population
5. Develop new methods of processing and the adaptation or development of new products from local ethnobotanical sources and cooperate with local Lao producers to increase market values of ethno-botanic products and increase rural livelihood options in Bokeo province

We anticipate that BEGRC will attract a wide range of researchers from other institutions and organizations. Botanists, agricultural technicians, medicinal chemists, development specialists, and anthropologists could utilize BEGRC as the platform to collaborate on various programs.

We will also operate botanical garden for tourists and the general public. The garden will be developed in an attractive and aesthetically pleasing manner. All ethnobotanical plants and trees will be labeled and information regarding their uses, cultivation, ecology and pharmacology will be available together with information on local ethnic groups, their traditional cosmologies and their relationships with the plants and trees.

BEGRC's funding is expected to originate from three sources: income generated from the botanical garden with entrance fees and book and product sales, research grants and private and corporate sponsorships.